Man who attacked conductor after being kicked off train for vaping is refused bail – The Irish News

A Co Antrim man who subjected a conductor to an unprovoked violent attack after being thrown off the train for e-cigarettes reacted angrily in court as a judge refused him bail.

Appearing at Ballymena Magistrates Court, Stephen Weldon, 34, swore at District Judge Nigel Broderick as prison staff escorted him to the cells.

The judge said he normally had to take into account the presumption of innocence, but that was not the case in Weldon’s case because he made “full and frank confessions.”

He said that “this was an unwarranted attack on an official providing public transport”.

Judge Broderick said it would have been “a terrible experience for the injured party”.

Weldon, of Inniscarn Drive, Newtownabbey, is charged with attempted grievous bodily harm, criminal damage to the victim’s mobile phone and criminal damage to a bag and mobile phone belonging to Translink on May 8.

A police officer described how the defendant was on the train to Larne when the conductor spotted him smoking and told him he would get off when the train pulled into Magheramourne station.

Weldon asked how he could get to work and the conductor told him there might be a bus service or he could walk. The two men fist bumped and the train moved on.

At Magheramourne station, the court heard Weldon kicked the victim, causing him to fall into the doors behind him, before “dragging him off the train and attacking him on the platform”, using both feet and fists.

“The victim said he was hit six or seven times in the head and face,” the officer said.

When police arrived, Weldon was still there and was arrested, but upon investigation “it emerged that the defendant filmed part of the attack like a livestream.”

In later interviews, Weldon admitted that he “saw red” when faced with a 90-minute walk to work.

The victim was taken to hospital and although doctors suspected he had suffered a broken jaw, an x-ray showed that although it was severely swollen there was no fracture, but he suffered five broken teeth, bruises and abrasions.

DJ Broderick remanded Weldon in custody and adjourned the case to June 6th.